


A Rippling Spark

by shenannagations



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender, 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: Airbender Jeon Jungkook, Airbender Jung Hoseok | J-Hope, Battle, Bending (Avatar), Earthbender Kim Namjoon | RM, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Min Yoongi | Suga/Park Jimin, Firebender Kim Seokjin | Jin, Firebender Min Yoongi | Suga, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Multi, NamJin and HopeVKook develops through story, Post-Avatar: The Last Airbender, Protests, Revolution, Slow Build, Waterbender Kim Taehyung | V, Waterbender Park Jimin
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-19
Updated: 2020-02-20
Packaged: 2020-07-08 14:35:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,196
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19871236
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shenannagations/pseuds/shenannagations
Summary: Jimin and Yoongi's rather peaceful life is torn apart one day by the introduction of a law that targets cross-bender families and couples. As a firebender and waterbender couple, they are at great risk to be separated, arrested or worse. They must fight to be able to stay together, they just hadn't expected to be leading the revolution movement against the law and the government officials that instated it.(Set sometime post Avatar: The Last Airbender, but I have never seen Legend of Korra so we are pretending it never happened. Also while an Avatar is mentioned, none of OT7 are them.)





	1. A Rumor on the Winds

**Author's Note:**

> Okay so I have been working on this thing for literal months. I have made moodboards, individual chapter images, and even edited bending affects for OT7 (all of which you can find on my twitter). I have been so excited to post, so much so that I don't even care if it only gets like 10 views. I am proud af of all the work I have done on this thing! Even so, whoever may take up reading, please enjoy the ride!
> 
> [Moodboard](https://twitter.com/shenannagations/status/1125270811022176256?s=20)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Rumors are like ripples in a cornfield. They are ephemeral, but they do indicate which way the wind is blowing.” - Susan J. Palmer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HERE WE GOOOOOOO CHAPTER ONE LES GEDDIT

There was a sense of effortlessness that came when a bender managed to master their given element. A master bender would make complicated maneuvers look easy, but a skilled master could make their designated element appear as an extension of their body.

Jimin was no master of water, but he'd be lying to say he wasn't a skilled bender. It had taken years for him to build himself to the level he held, to train his body and mind to manipulate water as another limb. After so much practice, he managed to do so without trying as much as he used to. His abilities as a dancer certainly aided in his desire to appear as fluid as the element he was working to master. It was an arduous process, but one he had willingly dedicated his life to upon discovering his status as an element bender.

Though his practice that day was vastly different from his usual routine. There was limited fluidity in his moments as he shot powerful jets of water out in basic attack formations.

If there was one thing Jimin hated in life, it was to lose. Whether it be a test, a dance battle, a sparring match, a game, or even just a small race - he couldn't stand to lose. It made him feel inadequate to be anything less than first. It was an admittedly deadly fixation of his, one that he had lazily tried to remedy once but lacked the self-control to break.

"You have got to cut back some on the practice," a familiar voice called, "you're starting to make my fluid movement art look bad."

He paused in his motions, offering a small smile to his best friend. "I could never, Taehyungie, your water manipulation is on par with my own."

Taehyung hummed skeptically, seating himself on the water bank. "Even so, why have you been practicing so much? You've always been an overachiever in that regard, but it seems more so here lately."

Sometimes he misplaced how well his fellow waterbender knew him. For as long as he had known about bending, he had also known of one Kim Taehyung. They had grown up in the same village and commonly took to practicing together or sparring when they felt the need to brush up on their basic combat skills. For all the years they had been at one another's side, it really shouldn't surprise him anymore. Yet, there he was, a bit surprised that the other had so easily analyzed his actions.

Jimin ran a hand through his mildly sweaty hair. "You're going to think I'm being petty…"

Taehyung grinned, "Probably because you are, but please spill the beans."

He sighed. "Yoongi-hyung challenged me to a friendly spar a while ago. I lost horrendously, to the point where he questioned if I had any combat training at all."

"Ah, so in your shame, you've come to your favorite local training spot to brush up on the amateur battle tactics we used to use."

It drew a pout to his lips, "I'm _not_ ashamed. Hyung is a powerful firebender, the fact that I didn't die is an accomplishment in itself."

"Okay that is an exaggerated lie for multiple reasons," Taehyung snorted. "One, Yoongi-hyung has a soft spot for you as his favorite dongsaeng. Two, you described this as a friendly spar and therefore he wouldn't be putting too much into things in fear of hurting you. Three, he was probably trying to prove a point rather than hurt you."

Perhaps he was a bit ashamed that his combat skills had gotten so rusty and neglected that they were nigh nonexistent. So much of his focus went into executing his bending in a fluid way that he forgot to also take the time to keep up on blatant attacks and defenses. He was frustrated with himself, especially after seeing the look of deep concern the firebender had given him upon almost taking a direct fire blast to the face.

Clearly, the self-imposed disappointment showed through his expression, as Taehyung was quick to come to his side.

"Hey," he called gently, "it really isn't a big deal. While the skills have grown weak from misuse, it doesn't mean they're gone altogether. Give yourself more credit than that, Jiminie. Back in the day, I clearly remember that you were the one to lead us through combative exercises. We honed that knowledge until our attentions shifted into harnessing our bending as a form of art."

That was true, he had found an old, decrepit scroll on both defensive and offensive water bending in their old village and had deemed it an important thing to learn in order to protect themselves. Jimin could remember the burning ambition he had felt when they would spar using that knowledge, it was a drive to better his skills to better protect those he cared about.

With a small huff, he allowed his shoulders to drop in defeat. "Fine," he whined, "but I still think it's an issue that needs my attention."

Taehyung offered a sympathetic pat on the back. "Yeah well, knowing you as I do, I'm going to be catching you refining combative skills for literal months to come because your stubborn ass can't leave it alone."

"Shut up, Tae."

"Don't get snarky with me just because I'm telling the truth!"

"You're so annoying!"

"I love you too!"

* * *

Namjoon's tea shop always managed to keep its signature laid back and calm vibe, no matter the time of year nor time of day. Things were always quiet, calm, and peaceful.

So, when his dongsaeng had asked him to check over some reports for his business, Yoongi had readily agreed to swing by after work, eager to embrace the calm atmosphere of the shop. And since he had gotten out of work rather early compared to usual, he had raced over and settled happily at his chosen table.

"Did they give you trouble again, Jin-hyung?"

Yoongi's gaze flickered up from the report he had been reading to find his fellow firebender walking in with a disgruntled expression.

"Joon, the day they _don't_ give me trouble is the day I will finally show them concern," Jin said with a huff. He pulled a small box from his bag and handed it to the younger male. "This one cracked today while firing, but I figured you'd like the colors."

Namjoon opened the box excitedly, admiring the cracked glass and its bright colors with an appreciative eye. "Thanks, hyung. I'm glad you saved it, it's beautiful."

Yoongi wanted to roll his eyes at the 'so are you' that was practically on Seokjin's lips. He could definitely understand Jimin's constant complaining of the topic that presented itself. Why the two idiots he held so dear to him wouldn't make a goddamn move to be something more official was beyond him. But he didn't have it in him to say anything, so instead he slowly lost his sanity as he watched them continue to dance on the edge of being a pair.

"You're quiet today Yoongi, how was Woojin-ssi?" Jin asked.

"Especially cantankerous," he replied with a fond sort of quirk to his lips. "He spent half of the time complaining about how kids don't take interest in the professions that need new blood to take note of things. I suppose he was referring to metallurgy and metalworking, but it seemed to be a sweeping complaint."

Namjoon hummed. "He has a point though. The masters of certain crafts are aging, they'll need apprentices or young blood to take on their works if there is any hope of continuance for those trades."

Yoongi huffed softly. "I really need a sit-down conversation between you and the old man to happen. Imagine the topics that would be covered."

Jin grinned, "It'd be like having two philosophers seated across from one another."

"Except one has the grump of age and tiredness attached to his words."

Namjoon flushed slightly. "You two think too much of me. Just because I have things to say doesn't mean they're worth hearing."

The eldest among them flicked his forehead in mild annoyance. "Halt that train of thought before I do it myself, Joon. Wasn't it you who convinced both of our stubborn asses that all words carry some meaning and deserve to be heard? Spare the same sentiment for yourself, would you?"

Yoongi could gag for the soft look that had settled on his dongsaeng's features at those words. Seriously - they needed to slap a label on whatever they were before he combusted from the vicarious dissatisfaction he was experiencing.

"Oh! Hyung, would you like some tea?" Namjoon seemed to be looking for a way to escape for a moment.

The eldest obviously sensed it as well as offered a kind smile. "If it's not too much trouble?"

It coaxed a dimpled grin from the other blonde. "I run a _tea shop_ hyung, I always have tea brewing and water boiling." He made off towards the kitchen area with intent.

Yoongi cast a weary glance to his companion. "So how long must I watch this agonizing dance between you two?"

Seokjin had the nerve to look confused. "What are you talking about?"

He really wanted to scream to the heavens by that time. "Come on, hyung. It's obvious there's a spark - stop fucking laughing - between you two. It probably wouldn't even make a huge difference if you two became an item."

His fellow firebender fiddled with his fingers for a moment. "Am I so obvious?"

Yoongi merely gave him a look.

Seokjin sighed. "I… wouldn't mind it I suppose? He seems to have reservations-"

"No, he's shy, there's a difference."

" _Anyway_ ," he continued with a pointed glare, "I don't want to push him into anything, also I'm content with things as they are for now."

Yoongi shook his head slightly, "And this is why I always hear our dongsaengs complaining about this particular topic. You've been 'content with things as they are' for nearly three years, hyung. Maybe it's time to make a move."

Namjoon came back with a steaming cup of tea, setting it in front of Jin quietly.

The dark-haired male finished his own cup from earlier, offering a meaningful glance to his only hyung. "Think about it, let me know if you want assistance."

"For what?" The earthbender asked curiously.

"I offered hyung a chance to work with me and the old man, in case he gets tired of dealing with the imbeciles at his job," Yoongi lied easily. "Because personally, I'm tired of hearing about it."

Seokjin clearly heard what he was secretly conveying and scowled into his cup as he took a sip. "I'll think about it, now leave me alone."

Namjoon looked surprised at the mildly angry undertone to the elder's words.

Yoongi smirked, "That's my cue to leave you two to it. Joon, the report looks good to me, if anyone says otherwise then it is apparent they can't fucking read."

He chuckled at that, nodding his thanks. "Alright, hyung, thanks for looking it over for me."

"No problem - catch you two idiots later."

The day outside the shop was warm, a typical summer feeling to the air. Lazy white clouds drug themselves along the blue canvas of the sky, the potentially stifling air being moved around by the pleasant breeze. Yoongi found himself glad that old Woojin had insisted he only be there a half day, claiming that the weather was too nice for them to be clammed up in his metalwork smithy.

"Ah hyung!"

The familiar voice had him turning from where he had been headed. A small and fond smile came to his face as his most bubbly dongsaeng came up to him.

Taehyung offered him a bright smile in return. "I'm glad I caught you! I was looking for you."

"Is that right? Well you found me, what is it?"

The younger's face fell a bit. "Well, I was with Jiminie earlier, and he seems to be kind of beating himself up since he didn't do well in the spar you two had.. I just wondered if you could talk to him about it?"

He frowned slightly upon hearing that. "He's upset about it still?" He had known Jimin would agonize over his rather spectacular failure in combative skills, but for this long? There had to be something more to it.

Tae nodded, "You know how he gets, hyung… finds a fault with himself and agonizes and practices until he feels he has fixed it."

Yoongi huffed, "Yeah that's Jimin alright. I'll talk to him Tae, thanks for the heads up."

Taehyung nodded and hugged him quickly before running off with a call of, "Thanks Hyungie!"

With a fond roll of his eyes, he returned to his original quest of going home, knowing for a fact that that would be where he could find the apparently disgruntled younger would be there.

* * *

Jimin knew he shouldn't be moping like he was. Taehyung had picked up on his skulking, so there was no doubt that everyone else would pick up on it if he kept at it. And oh how he hated being the center of attention for a bunch of concerned friends. Yet he wasn't ready to discard how he felt just yet, not until he was able to fix something about the situation.

"Jiminie," came a low, familiar drawl.

He hunched his shoulders up a bit more almost unconsciously at the call. Apparently, the fates had decided it was time for him to confront his upset after all.

Yoongi appeared in front of him, crouching down to peer up into his eyes. He looked curious, but also mildly concerned. "What has you this way, my dear?"

Jimin could curse him for knowing him so well. It wasn't really a surprise to him however, given that the older male had done his best to take in his subtle habits and mannerisms when they had first gotten together. Years of learning to read each other meant they both were quick to pick up on any abnormalities in moods and behaviors.

"I'm being stupid…" he uttered, almost under his breath.

Yoongi huffed fondly. "Jimin, the only time I have ever considered you to be stupid was when you didn't understand my blatant confession of love back in the day. Any other time, I find you merely to be sensitive or mildly overreacting to a particular situation."

Seriously, damn Yoongi for being such a genuine and understanding lover. "You're trying to make me feel better," he muttered.

The firebender cracked a smile at that. "Perhaps… is it working?"

Jimin let his bottom lip jut out in a visible pout. "It might be, and I don't want to get over this so easily."

"Ah, do forgive me from trying to spare you from self-imposed suffering."

He allowed himself a tiny quirk of a smile. Let it never be said he was immune to his partner's charms.

Yoongi's gaze was warm as he peered at him. "So, would you care to relate to me what's going on?"

Jimin has already been caving, intent on letting out his pent-up frustration through talking, so the small push was more than enough to persuade him into spilling.

He sighed softly. "I just keep thinking about how abhorrently I performed in our sparring match. I've been so focused on making my bending into something artistic and beautiful that I neglected useful combative skills."

Yoongi's hand was warm on his knee, dark eyes understanding.

Jimin brushed a hand through his blonde locks almost absentmindedly. "I feel ashamed, I guess. I used to primarily use offensive bending, but I have let myself slip into someone more docile than I used to be. I just feel suddenly inadequate, or unbalanced, I'm not sure which."

"I wouldn't say you are inadequate," Yoongi said firmly. "To bend water as you do while moving your body as fluidly as the element you possess is a finely tuned skill that requires intense focus and discipline. I certainly do not possess the skills necessary to perform in such a way."

He supposed that was true. Many had tried to mimic his and Taehyung's art, though there were very few who could even compare.

"Perhaps you have let your combative abilities fade into the background; I would say it wasn't entirely a conscious choice. Your focus of bending shifted when you discovered your ability to perform. You no longer had need for the offensive maneuvers, so it was only natural for them to phase from your repertoire."

At some point, their fingers had intertwined and Jimin squeezed his hands as he considered it. As a dancer, he had definitely honed his abilities and body to best work as an instrument for his art. He had particular movements he needed to accomplish and accomplish well, so it really did make sense that the more aggressive style movements had taken on a lesser role.

He felt better, he realized. The process of losing his finesse in combative bending had followed a logical and gradual path. It really wasn't surprising that the spar had gone poorly on his end. But it was also a wakeup call for him. As devoted as he was to dancing, he also didn't want to let his fighting abilities slip any further from his grasp.

"Will you help me get back into it?" Jimin finally asked, ever so softly.

Yoongi smiled up at him with a nod, "Course I will, Min."

Let it never be said he didn't love his Yoongi.

* * *

When a loud knock sounded on his door, Taehyung wasn't sure who to expect. While it wasn't particularly uncommon for him to have visitors after dusk, it was slightly unusual. He approached the door a bit cautiously, tugging it open a tad to peer at whoever was outside.

"Oh!" He pulled it open farther to let in the two familiar faces. Trying not to worry too much about the uneven gait the younger was sporting.

"Hyung, I _can_ walk y'know," Jungkook grumbled, though he easily let his hyung lead him to a nearby seat.

Hobi scoffed after he had plopped him down. "You could _hobble_ you mean. Face it, Kook, you got pretty hurt. Now accept the help before I make you."

Taehyung just barely caught the grumbled reply of 'already made me…' and tried not to grin. "So! Guess I get to play healer tonight?"

Hoseok offered him a sheepish look, "We'd appreciate it, if you wouldn't mind.. I know you won't be able to mend everything because this one is a reckless wonder, but any help is better than nothing."

He smiled warmly and patted the older male's arm, "I'll do what I can, hyung."

"Thank you, Taehyungie."

Tae worked in silence but made sure to whack his patient over the head. "What kind of shit did you get into this time, Kook?"

Jungkook, to his credit, slumped in shame. "It was a tournament. Any of the top three finalist winnings would have covered my expenses for a couple of _months_ , but an earthbender got me dirty in the semifinals. I was only a couple of fights from winning too…"

Hobi shared a long glance with Taehyung over the other's head at that.

Neither of them were particularly fond of his fighting, least of all when it meant they'd have to come to the rescue; whether that meant going to retrieve him, interrupting a fight to save him, or even patching him up afterwards. It wasn't good for him. It gave him a way to vent the firebender-like anger he always seemed to sport, but long-term fighters never got the easy end of things. They had tried countless times to get him out of going back to the underground battles and tournaments and had yet to succeed. They were strongly aware of the developing chronic issue with his left ankle and they knew he was too, yet still he persisted.

"I'm not going to spout the usual spiel since you're so intent on ignoring us on the fact," Hoseok grumbled.

"I'm not ignoring-"

"But," he cut in with a stern glance, "I am going to present you with the obvious. The more you put your ankle through, the worse it gets, the further it deteriorates. By this rate, you're going to deal with chronic pain for the rest of your life. You're only 21, Jungkook, you're too young to be reducing yourself to that point."

Taehyung healed some random abrasions on his hands quietly. "We worry for you, Kookie," he murmured sadly.

Jungkook looked down at the floor with shiny eyes. "I-I know you guys do," he whispered, "but fighting is all I know how to do… it's all I'm good at. If I'm not a fighter than what am I?"

Hobi huffed and lifted his chin gently. "If not a fighter, then a learner. There's so much more to life than this, so much more to _you_ than this."

Tae moved on to his ankle but paused before beginning. "Do you think Jiminie and I grew up knowing we wanted to do art as we do now? We trained long and hard to get where we are. Initially we were supposed to just live our lives defending our old village. Our first skills were in combative bending, and then Jimin found a text on more delicate styles and techniques. We honed those basics into what we do now."

He looked up at the other two who were watching him with interest. Tae offered a smile. "Could you imagine us just guarding a little village all our lives?"

Jungkook shook his head softly.

"Then don't expect yourself to only be a fighter in this life, especially not at this cost to yourself."

The thoughtful expression on the younger's face, and proud smile on his hyung's was enough to let him know his words may have borne some weight and meaning for once. It was relieving, he was always glad to know he could help people besides his coveted medicinal bending.

Maybe, just maybe, they'd finally get their Jungkookie to find another path in life that didn't cause him harm.

* * *

"Have you heard what others have been saying about the new law that may be introduced?"

"I have, it's so fearsome in nature I hope it is merely word from doomsayers…"

"It is my wish too, especially for the sake of any cross-bender families."

Jimin really tried not to listen in on the village gossip, much of it usually amounting to word of mouth or unnecessary worry. Yet the repeated whisper of cross-bender families being involved had his curiosity piqued.

To have a cross-bender relationship was to have two benders gifted in different elements. He and Yoongi were a crossed pair, one of the ones many people believed wouldn't work since their elements opposed one another. Yet he found their relationship to be quite balanced. There were many things a firebender could do that a waterbender couldn't, and vice versa. It just worked; and when they brought their elements together, they could create some unique outcomes (their outcome of choice was to turn their bathroom into a sauna).

From the limited information he had heard from various villagers, the law seemed to be ruling against cross-bender families in some way. It was an intimidating thought to be a potential target from such a law, but he tried not to pay it too much mind.

Rumors from the villagers usually tended to be proven false, after all. This one would surely turn out to be the same.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [OT7 Bender Edits](https://twitter.com/shenannagations/status/1124590718209679360?s=20)


	2. Shifting Tides

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Power doesn’t corrupt people, people corrupt power.” - William Gaddis

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooooo it has been a hot minute. There were many many things that tried to stand in the way of me actually writing this fic to completion. Family emergencies, total document loss and having to restart all of my writing on every chapter thrice, personal issues, career issues. You name it, and it probably came up at some point.
> 
> Anyways! I am back finally. And hope to keep puttering away at this fic because you know what?! I worked for too long to make all of the graphics and what not for this story to not see it all the way through. So we're going to buckle up and get it done. Maybe not within the year as this year promises to be busy. But we will finish it. And I'm excited even if I have to sit and rewrite everything for the fourth time.
> 
> Hope you'll enjoy this next slice into this world I've formed! Pardon the impossible wait if you've been here since posting.

As Yoongi’s last memories of the day previous faded with him holding onto his dearest person, he found that dawn came much too soon after. He hated feeling the small pinpricks of light filtering through the curtains to land on his skin. He merely wanted to relish in the comforting warmth of Jimin’s small frame and ignore the world that was waking around them.

An amused hum sounded from the male in his hold. “All these years and you have come no closer to finding any kind of peace with mornings.” Jimin’s gaze was softened with the remnants of sleep, but full of affection.

He huffed indignantly, “And why should I? It usually means me having to part from my favorite portion of the day.”

“Which portion is that?” Was the curious, yet knowing question.

It coaxed a lazy smile onto his lips. “Being with you, of course, as if there is any other event in my daily proceedings that could trump having you by my side.” He leaned forward and planted a kiss on the other’s nose.

Jimin giggled, face scrunched up slightly.

Yoongi had never thought it possible to feel so in love with a person. Yet with each passing day, he found himself falling ever more for his waterbender.

They fell into a comfortable silence for awhile, soft caresses and kisses being traded between them. It was a time of bonding they always made sure to have before parting ways for the day. Somewhere along the course of their relationship it had become tradition.

“Yoonie…?”

“Hmm?”

Jimin twisted the fabric of his shirt in nervous habit. “Do you think we can tell the others of our true relationship sometime soon? I know we can’t really be public about things since the villagers know us both so well, but…. I just..” he sighed a bit sadly. “I hate lying to them by omittance.”

Initially they had hid their relationship out of fear. Cross-bender relations were really nothing new, so the problem never lied there. The problem arose when it came to opposing bender elements, specifically their coupling of fire and water. So many superstitions had been laid over such a pair. They were two sides of a coin, and supposedly never meant to be together. He and Yoongi had both scoffed at all the petty things people said, but they couldn’t deny the fact that it would definitely create problems for them if they were public about the nature of their bond.

There were countless reports and stories of the atrocious things people occasionally did to fire-water pairs. Forcible separation was the least concerning, some had been put to death in more sensitive villages. It had been that tangible fear that made them hide and form the habit of keeping their relationship hidden. Even having known their friends for years wasn’t enough for them to trust. It was a large source of guilt for them both.

Yoongi nuzzled the side of his lover’s face in apology. “I know. I have been thinking about it a lot too. I want to tell them soon.” It wasn’t said just to assuage Jimin either, it had been weighing on him more and more as time passed. Though, they weren’t the most subtle, so who was to say there weren’t already inklings?

Jimin shot upright, ignoring the grumbling of his beloved. “Wait really?”

He peered up into those beautiful browns with a small smile. “They’re essentially our family now, Minnie. Even though we keep things under wraps, I don’t really feel the need to keep things from them anymore.”

Truly their little found family had been nothing but kind, supportive, and overall loving to them. Being the skeptical man that he was, Yoongi had always been waiting for a less wholesome side of them to surface. Yet he had known them for years now, and still nothing. Surely it was sign enough of their character.

Jimin’s gaze was starry, full of obvious relief and thankfulness. “Yoongi, I love you,” he murmured, diving in for a searing kiss that left them a little breathless after.

“And I you, Jiminie.”

They reluctantly parted for the day not an hour later, though not before sharing more kisses and random declarations of love.

Yoongi absently watched the clouds as he walked to work, smiling to himself when he saw more than one shape in their midst that reminded him of Jimin.

Apparently his good mood was obvious on his face, because as soon as he arrived at his place of work, his boss was giving him grief for it.

“You look like you’ve realized your excrement is made of money,” old man Woojin griped.

Yoongi smiles easily, “As fortunate as such a discovery would be, that is not the case, Woojin-ssi.”

The metalworker grunted in reply, lumbering around his shop as usual. “Whatever the deal is, don’t let it distract you from the fires. We’ve got a lot to make today, you better be ready.”

He nodded, “I’m always ready for work.”

“Curve some of your work ethic into my useless son,” Woojin grumbled, reaching to extract a small pile of silver scraps.

Yoongi rolled his eyes, “You know he won’t listen to me. I’m a bender and he despises benders.”

“He’ll despise being tossed on the streets more,” the old man snarked in a sudden burst of volume. “If I had made a weapon for every time he has-“

Yoongi listened as his boss went into a familiar rant about his son, smiling as he did. He was glad that some things never really varied in life.

* * *

Jimin let out a frustrated sigh as he failed to execute a particular move correctly... _again_. He knew it ultimately boiled down to his mind being vastly preoccupied by other things, but it was still irritating.

The increased presence of rumors surrounding some abhorrent law that was supposedly in the works had everyone on edge. Though the included mention of it dealing with cross-bender families definitely had he and Yoongi on their toes. Even if it was merely a rumor, it still was a fearful thought that the Leaders might be targeting them. If the topic hadn’t struck so close to home, they probably would’ve ignored it.

With so much word of mouth traveling, all of it sharing a similar theme, he had been practicing defensive and combative bending with renewed fervor. It was a habit he had developed being around Yoongi, who lived by the code of being over prepared was always better than being blindsided.

He heaved a deep breath and tried the move again. It failed. With a low groan, he sunk to the ground and let himself rest for a moment.

Bending may have become something of a second nature to him after doing it for so long, but it was still easy to get tired from using it a lot over the course of a single day. So much focus, energy, and will all spent to move the water at his fingertips. His dance routines felt easy compared to the moderate combative training he was subjecting himself to.

“You strike me as the type of bender to try and figure out everything themselves and not seek out sources of helpful information,” someone commented from his left. “Stubbornness or force of will, I cannot tell.”

Jimin sat up and offered a kind smile. He recognized the hunched back old man from the village, he was one of the elders that tended to make rounds and offer what advice he could to those who would listen. “Old one,” he greeted, “must you analyze me so accurately?”

The man smiled with amusement. “You make it easy, young waterbender. Your intensity while training is very telling of your character.”

Well that was certainly something Yoongi always threw in his face. “You kind of wear your emotions on your sleeve, Min, your face tells a lot while you’re doing something,” he’d say with that teasing smirk.

“Fair enough. What resources would you recommend?”

It was becoming painfully obvious that his ambitious endeavors were tricky to accomplish with his unfamiliarity to the combative side of bending. So really, Jimin felt ready to accept any and all help that could be thrown in his direction.

His unexpected companion chuckled, “There are several, but given the offensive maneuvers I stumbled upon, I’d imagine you’d benefit greatly from the era of the Fire Nation Siege.”

Jimin cocked his head to the side in thought. “I guess you’d mean scrolls left behind by Avatar Aang then?”

It earned a shake of the head, “No, no. Avatar Aang may have eventually mastered the elements, as was his destiny, but there would always be one superior to him in waterbending. His wife, Lady Katara.”

He pondered the name for a moment. “As a waterbender, I should probably be more familiar with her than I am.”

The man nodded sagely. “Many have lost sight of those from the past if they were not a significant ruler or the Avatar. But it is common to see that both figures of importance would not have done the things they had without some sort of support network. In Avatar Aang’s case, his wife Katara was one of his closest companions for a vast portion of their journey together. Her own water bending skills may have started as amateur at best, but she trained and grew to become the strongest waterbender of her time. She also harnessed the healing powers of water, and went on to detail much of her methodology in tomes and scrolls similar to those left by the Avatar.”

Part of him felt ashamed. Having grown up in a small village where he and Taehyung were the only two waterbenders, they had grown up learning to teach much of what they knew to themselves through endless trial and error. It had been a long and arduous task to pick up anything at all, especially with no teacher to guide them. When they finally were able to find a teacher, their skills had far advanced whatever their fellow waterbender knew. So the news that there were apparently easily accessible resources to aid benders was a bit of a new one. Jimin has always assumed they existed, but had no idea where or who could have access to them.

“The expression on your face tells me that perhaps you’re not familiar with having such things readily in access.”

He smiled shyly. “Yes, I find it to be a novelty if I’m honest. Such things were out of reach for much of my life. Where in the area can I find such things, old one?”

The man hummed with thought. “I am almost certain there are manuscripts to be found at the tomekeeper’s. The couple looking after everything is a bit odd, but very keen to help those who need it.”

Jimin nodded and bowed his head in thanks. “I appreciate your input, old one. I shall seek them out soon to further my studies.”

His company let out a sound of approval. “Do that, young one. I feel there’s a change of tide coming soon. Better to be prepared than taken by surprise.”

The warning didn’t go unnoticed by him. Jimin practiced for a while more afterwards, but once more found his mind too caught up in racing thoughts to truly focus on the matter at hand.

So he gave in. He slumped to the ground with a small huff and stared up absently at the pieces of sky peeking through the treetops.

He was grateful that the old one had happened to come along and give him a push in the right direction. While Jimin felt a little embarrassed about his lack of knowledge, he was relieved that he’d have some kind of foundation to build from. 

Now his hope rested in the villagers tomekeepers. Assuming they did have the aforementioned scrolls he sought, he’d be able to spend his next free day focusing on bettering his combative bending.

Jimin raised himself to a stand and collected his satchel, striding off with renewed purpose.

It was time to seek out history.

* * *

Running a tea shop, Namjoon had long since learned, meant that he had an ear constantly tuned to the latest gossip of any who stopped in. Sometimes the news he overheard bustling about the shop was good; tales of children, of love, of triumphs. But other times, the news was bad, and he was a little concerned that the news continued to have the same ominous undertone to it.

Whispers from the public rarely bore any real merit. Though, he definitely tended to listen more intently when a recurring topic arose. If the story he had managed to piece together bore any weight, the Leaders were cooking up a nefarious new law. 

When he had first heard of it from a table of customers, he had brushed it off and all but forgotten about it. Namjoon couldn’t quite allow himself to do that when it kept appearing in various conversations.

Cross-bender relations and families had been a rather antiquated topic of intrigue and scrutiny for a long time. He personally found it to be ridiculous to scrutinize it all. Avatar Aang and Lady Katara had been a cross-pair and no one had ever thought twice about it. Yet he knew that wasn’t where the problem really lay.

No, the true superstitious belief that spurred on prejudice and stigma, stemmed specifically from fire and water pairs. For whatever reason, the idea that benders of opposing elements could fall in love was seen as taboo. Namjoon had never understood why, but then, traditionalized prejudice didn’t really get explained to those who wouldn’t ask for deeper reasoning.

So instead he and the rest of their world had to deal with age old criticisms of cross bender couplings. It was ridiculous, and something he certainly hoped would be a goal for the younger generations to teach against. Yet he knew that was idealistic side chiming in.

All of this and more found its way to the forefront of his mind as he went through his day. The same theme continued to pop up in overheard conversations, and with it rose his worry. He might not personally know of any cross pairs, he knew it was an issue. To so blatantly target a group of people was an attack on them. There was simply no other way to put it or frame it. That just brought about the question of why the Leaders were supposedly considering doing such a thing.

His morning full of various concerns was only broken up when he noticed his eldest hyung entering the shop with a little box in hand. Namjoon smiled despite himself and offered a small wave as Seokjin made his way over.

The firebender returned the smile, "Hi Joonie."

He had to will himself not to flush at the warmth in Jin's tone as he said his name. "Hi hyung," he replied shyly. Oh how the gods had cursed him with an unrivaled set of nerves.

"I have another new addition for you," Seokjin said, pride painting his expression.

Namjoon perked up and accepted the small box as it was offered to him. It was a bit early in the day for his hyung to be visiting, he knew, but he was glad to see him all the same.

Inside the box's confines, as expected, was another 'defective' piece of ceramic. The newest edition was a soft blue color with an intricate lattice design in pure white around the sides. Though, compared to the usual suspects, this one was merely a bit misshapen and hadn't cracked or broken during firing.

He loved it. Namjoon already knew where it would find a home on his shelf. "Thank you hyung," he breathed sincerely, "it's so pretty."

Seokjin smiled delicately at that. "I had hoped you would like it. You always find beauty in the obscure Joon-ah."

He chuckled and gently replaced his new prize into its box. "Beauty is such a relative term for such a dynamic attribute," he murmured. "What is beautiful to me, might be hideous to another. Yet the value we put upon that which we find attractive has a similar scale. And beauty in itself can shift and amalgamate itself into different forms. Still, we narrow it down to one measly word..."

Namjoon paused before he could go into a complete tangent. He flushed and offered a very sheepish grin to the older. "Sorry, you know how I can ramble."

Seokjin's expression only registered to him as dreamy. "It's alright, I could listen to you talk all day and you know it."

He ducked his head in a vague attempt to hide the redness in his cheeks.

"Ah you wound me by hiding those dimples from view, Joon-ah!"

"Hyung," he whined indignantly. "How are you here this early anyway?"

Seokjin rolled his eyes at that. "Someone hadn't kept up maintenance on the furnace I regulate, and it caused some production issues. Since they have a firebender for every furnace, I was not needed for the rest of the day and got to leave early."

Namjoon's brows furrowed against his will. "They won't shorten your pay or anything will they?"

It earned him a scoff. "They'd be foolish to try. They know how argumentative I can be when I want to get into it."

That definitely sounded like his hyung, he thought. Seokjin wasn't exactly hot headed but he definitely could make a steadfast argument when he needed or wanted to. It was always an impressive sight to behold.

"I do need to be off though," Jin said reluctantly, "but I wanted to make sure you got your little treasure."

He beamed, heart fluttering lightly in his chest. "Then thank you for stopping in and giving it to me. You know I will cherish it."

"I know Joonie," Seokjin agreed, eyes impossibly soft. "I hope your day wraps up well. I'll see you again soon, alright?"

Namjoon nodded, offering another wave as the older left.

When he had gone, he heaved a small breath and put a hand over his fluttering heart. Maybe one day he'd be able to meet those warm browns and not feel like his stomach had erupted into butterflies.

He glanced at the small box at his side with a breathless laugh.

He doubted it'd be anytime soon.

* * *

Hoseok prided himself on being able to keep a level head in some of the toughest moments life had to throw at him. Working with young children and reckless adults had especially honed his acquired skill. Hosting public sporting events and gatherings was always draining, and came with more than a few injuries and stressful situations, but he loved it. He had always been good with people, even as a child. So having been able to grow up into someone who worked closely with his home community to have recreational activities and the such available to everyone, was something he took great pride in as well.

That being said, sometimes all of his levelheadedness abandoned him when it came to a certain fire spirited airbender.

Jungkook was far from a careful person. As an underground fighter, he basically lived his life on an abstract version of the front lines. The younger bender was terribly impulsive and had a reckless streak to match.

Honestly he was surprised he had not yet developed gray hairs from some of the stressful situations that had come from his dongsaeng's habits. It was always a small miracle whenever he _did_ manage to keep himself together upon seeing Jungkook after matches.

Which was why when Jungkook showed up on his doorstep at an outrageous hour looking like he had spent his day being thrashed around a rough flowing river, Hobi found himself in a state, nervously fluttering about trying to figure out what on earth he could do. It had just so happened that Taehyung had been over for dinner that night, a repayment from the last time he had patched up Jungkook, so he hurriedly brought in Jungkook and shook Taehyung into wakefulness.

The waterbender was quick to snap to attentiveness and cursed under his breath. "What'd you do this time Kookie?" he grumbled, voice rough with sleep.

Hobi lingered nearby, trying to gather himself. It was far from the worst state he had ever seen the younger in, but it still had him feeling frazzled. He just didn't like seeing harm come to Jungkook. If it were up to him, he'd prevent him from ever participating in the underground ring ever again.

Jungkook wilted against the sofa, clothes ripped and soaked through. He was a mess. "It was duo fights tonight - double the money. My teammate got taken out early in the match and I had to deal with a waterbender and earthbender. That's really hard to do alone."

"Why didn't you just forfeit the match then?" Taehyung asked sharply, though his hold was gentle as he healed up some abrasions on the airbender's arm.

Hoseok didn't overlook the way Jungkook seemed to compress into himself, eyes downcast resolutely to the floor.

"I know you have pride, but _dammit_..."

They were both stunned when Taehyung began crying.

"Having to patch you up so much, knowing that it's all preventable damage if you'd just stop and find something else to do, makes my heart hurt," Tae murmured wetly. He wiped vaguely at his eyes but the wetness was quickly replaced. "I worry about you so much..."

"Hyung..."

Hoseok lifted a hand and brushed it slowly through dripping locks. "I... he's right Jungkook. This is really hard for us. I'm glad that you trust us to help you when you need it, but I hate seeing the need arise so much." He cupped Jungkook's cheek and sighed softly when he found them to be wet as well.

Those large doe eyes had filled with tears, guilt reflecting in their depths.

Hobi shook his head sadly. "You're allowed to forge your own path in life, and we want you to be happy. But as your hyungs, we can't help but worry and hope for your health. All this fighting is hard on us too."

Jungkook's gaze swept between the two of them, more tears trickling down his cheeks. "I-I'm sorry," he whispered, voice cracking. "I didn't know...I-"

Taehyung silenced anything else he might've said with a firm embrace. "I don't mean to corner you or anything. I just needed to say it because it's been killing me to hold back."

Hobi patted their backs, heart feeling oddly sore in the moment.

It was a secret known only to them in the grand scheme of things. None of the others in their little found family had any clue about what exactly Jungkook had been up to for nearly four years already. He and Taehyung hadn't even directly found out for almost two of those years. Apparently they hadn't been meant to know but they had bumped into Jungkook looking worse for wear on his way to the town healer. That had been that.

So to have kept it under lock and key for so long, and to have also done their best to keep their true feelings on the matter carefully voiced in a light way, had been hard.

"T-There's a big tournament coming up," Jungkook murmured after awhile. "If I manage to win there, it would take care of me for months." He looked up with uncertainty in his gaze. "If I finish first there, I'll... I'll quit."

"Kook..."

"I just never fully realized I guess," he continued, sniffling as he did. "I was selfish about it... and I'm s-sorry."

Hoseok pulled away slightly to run a hand through his hair. It was all he had ever wanted for his dongsaeng, yet he also knew how much his fellow airbender prided himself on doing well in matches and the like. "It's your choice to make, we can't pressure you either way," he said a bit reluctantly.

Jungkook nodded, his hands fidgeting between his legs.

"That being said, you _know_ I will help you find something new to do if you do decide to quit," he declared.

"Jiminie and I can help you figure out some air dancing too if you wanted," Taehyung offered earnestly.

There was a timid smile on Jungkook's face.

Hobi felt a swell of timid hope rise to match it.

"I'll hold you to that, hyungs," he said in a delicate whisper.

* * *

“Acting against cross-bender relations is a bit of an audacious move,” the Leader of Fire said. “We run the risk of uprising if the public reacts badly to the proposed law.”

The Earth Leader nodded. “It is a bold move, but one I feel is necessary. We all have agreed that the potential power capabilities of two different elements paired together proves a hazard. We cannot sit and wait for something catastrophic to happen. We must attack the problem at its roots!”

“But to generalize all cross-bender relations out of fear will seem trivial to the public’s eye,” the Air Leader pointed out. “If we are to enact anything, there needs to be tangible proof supporting our concern.”

“Past records can be pulled and...renewed if need calls for it. Otherwise files could be forged or actively recorded from a set up. The threat is tangible, the proof doesn’t need to be as clear,” declared the Water Leader.

“Seeing as there is a general consensus, let us begin a law proposition draft.”


End file.
